Link found between race and smoke absorption

12/03/2007

Black children are especially susceptible to the effects of passive smoke exposure, new research suggests.

Scientists at the University of Cincinnati measured the cotinine levels of 220 asthmatic children and found that the black subjects had higher levels of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in their bodies.

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The group was comprised of a nearly equal proportion of black and white children who came from the same community and were exposed to smoke from at least five cigarettes per day.

Lead author Dr Stephen Wilson said: "African American children suffer from higher rates of tobacco related disorders, such as asthma, sudden infant death syndrome and low birth weight, and we need to know why.

"So our goal is to understand how certain populations, particularly those groups who are most susceptible, respond to ETS exposure."

Wednesday March 14th is national No Smoking Day in the UK, created to reduce illnesses and death related to tobacco among smokers and those who surround them.

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